Rocker toy



July 21, 1931,. 1 w. BROWN E'r AL ROCKER -TOY Filed July 2l, 1930 W W mM B w w.. P e m L Marguerite E. Brown Patented July 21, 193,1

UNETED STATES russes PATENT OFFICE LESTER W. BROWN AND MARGUERITE E.BROWN, OF SEATTLE, \VASHINGTON ROCKER TOY Application led July 21,

Our invention relates to rocker toys and certain objects of theinvention are to provide a rocker toy comprising rocker means withfigures of human beings, animals and the like pivotally mounted thereonin a multiplicity of forms and arrangements and having certain membersof their bodies pivotally connected whereby the triple movement, namelythe rocker movement, the pivotal movement of the figures as a whole, andthe pivotal movement of the connected body members will collectivelycause the device to assume a lifelike appearance while in motion.Further objects are to suspend the body members or elements to thebodies by means of elastic pivots whereby said members will have adisplacement movement in addition to their pivotal movement. Stillfurther objects are to connect certain of the figures together byelastic cords disposed in a direction corresponding to the direction ofmovement of the rockers whereby a back and forth swaying movement isimparted to the figures so connected With the above and other objects inview which will app-ear as the description proceeds, the inventionconsists of the novel construction, adaptation, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed. These objectsare accomplished by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings;wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a rocker toy embodyingthe features of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in transverse vertical section taken substantially on abroken line 2, 2 of F ig.` l;

Figj?) is a view in transverse section taken ..4.0 on a broken line 3, 3of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on a broken line 4, 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on a broken line 5, 5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a corresponding view taken on a broken line 6, 6 of Fig. 1;and

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation showing a rocker toy of slightlymodified form.

Referring to the drawings throughout v5,9 which like reference numeralsindicate like 1930. Serial No. 469,307.

parts, the numeral 5 designates a pair of rockers that are preferablysemi-circular and constructed of wood. Said rockers are secured inparallel spaced relation to the side end portions of a relatively thickplatform J5 or board 6 substantially midway of the height of therockers. The upper ends ofthe rockers are connected by transverse roundsor bars 7 which also retain the rockers in spaced relation.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a bracketsupport S, preferably made of wire and somewhat in the form of aninvert-ed letter U, has the ends of its legs secured transversely intothe center of the platform 6 and stands at right angles thereto. Thetransverse connecting portion of said wire support passes pivotallythrough the center of the body 9 of an animal-in this case the ligure ofa donkey.

One of the most important features of our toy is the manner and means offastening the members or elements of the animal or other ligure to itsbody or other part of its figure and to figures superimposed one uponthe other and also the means for resiliently connecting the figurestogether. Such means consists in forming a V or other shaped groove inthe body or in the limb or other member that is to be connected to thebody, forming a wedge or other reduced portion on the member or body,and pivotally suspending the reduced portion in the groove by means of arubber or other elastic pivot.

Thus, in Fig. 3 of the drawings, an ear 10 is connected to the head 11of the donkey by pivotally suspending the wedge shaped portion 12 of theear within a V-shaped groove 13 in the head and on an elastic cord 14.In Fig. 4 the head is connected to the body 9 of the animal (bypivotally suspending the wedge shaped portion 15 of the Vneck within aV- shaped groove 16 in the body on an elastic 17. In Figs. 4 and 6 thefront and hind legs 18 and 19 respectively `are connected to the body bypivotally suspending their wedge shaped portions 20 and 21 withinV-shaped grooves 2 2 and 23 in the body on elastics 24 and 25. And inFig. 6 the tail 26 is connected to the body by pivotally suspending itswedge shaped portion 9.7 within a V-shaped groove 28 on an elastic 29.

l/Vhile wedge and V -shaped j oints have been herein described asforming the connections between the foregoing members, it will beunderstood that many other forms of joints may be used and our device isnot limited in this respect. Any kind of elastic may be used for thepivots such as elastic cord, rubber bands, springs and the like. A knot30 may be tied on the outer ends of said elastic pivots in order toretain them in an outstretched position. It is very important that aspace 3l be left between the joints in order to provide room for pivotalmovement of the connecting members. The importance in using elasticpivots is that the members will thereby have a resilient movement ofdisplacement in addition to their pivotal movement.

Referring again to Fig. l wherein the ligure of a clown is shown mountedupon the donkey, the body portion 32 of the clown is transverselyrounded on its underside where it is adapted to rest on the donkeys backfor swaying movement back and forth. As shown in Fig. 2 both the bodieslof the donkey and clown are somewhat thick or wide in a transversedirection and their engaging surfaces are at right angles to theirsides, as shown in cross section, so that the one will rest upon theother. An elastic 33 is passed through the lower body portion of theclown and the projecting ends of the elastic are secured into thedonkeys back at points in central longitudinal alignment therewith. Thisis another important feature of our invention. The clowns head 34 isconnected to his body by pivotally suspending its wedge shaped neckportion 85 within a V-shaped groove 36 in the clowns shoulders on anelastic 37 as shown in detail in Fig. 5. A loop or band 38 may beextended through the clowns hands 39 and under the donkeys tail 26 inorder to more effectively impart movement to the tail as will beunderstood.

lVhen the device. as a whole, is caused to oscillate back and forth onthe rockers 5 the figures will swing` back and forth on their pivots andthe different members or elements attached to the figures will likewiseswing on their elastic pivots in a lifelike manner. Owing to the factthat said members are sus.- pended on elastics they will also have aslight displacement movement in addition to Vtheir pivotal movementwhich will add to their lifelike appearance. In Fig. l the clowns body,owing to its weight, will alternatively stretch the elastic 33 at itseX- pdosed end portions as the 4device rocks back and forth thus causingthe clown to sway back and forth.

In 7 a teeter-totter or seesaw board is pivotally supported on the wirebracket S with three cub bears pivotally supported on wire bracketsconnected to said board,

otherwise this form is functionally the same as that shown in Fig. l.The heads of the bears are mounted on elastic pivots and the elasticsconnected through the lower portion of the bears and board correspond tothe elastic 33.

It will be expressly understood that our device is not limited to theforms herein shown and described and that said forms are merely shown toillustrate the means of reducing our invention to practice. Almost anunlimited variety of animals, birds, persons and the like may besimulated and variously grouped without depart-ing from the scope andspirit of the invention. In fact the iiexibility of our invention inreadily adapting itself to such multiplicity of designs and arrangementsis an important lfactor in its utility as a toy.

Having thus described .our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is :w

l. A rocker toy having in combination rocker means, `a platformsupported on the rockers, one or more figures Supported for pivotalmovement by the platform, a plurality of elements suspendedly connectedto said figures for pivotal movement, elastic pivots forming theconnections between said figures and elements, and elastic disposed incorresponding direction with the rockers forming resilient connectionsbetween some of the figures whereby back and forth swaying'motion may beimparted t0 the figures thus connected. 1 00 2. A rocker toy having incombination rocker means, a plat-form supported on the rockers, one ormore iigures supported for pivotal movement by the platform, a pluralityof elements suspendedly connected to 1.05 said figures for pivotalmovement, said connections comprising wedge shaped portions fitting intoV-shaped grooves, elastic strips passing through said wedges and groovesforming said pivotal connections, and elastics disposed in directionscorresponding with the rockers forming resilient connections betweensome of the figures whereby back and forth swaying motion may beimparted to the figures thus connected.

In testimony whereof we aix our signatures.

LESTER W. BROWN. MARGUERITE E. BROWN.

